In a device for forming vertical piles of items, coming from a feeding line, a pair of conveyor belts set side by side, at the end of the feeding line translate the items downwards onto a plane disposed beneath, while a pusher moves vertically in order to push the items coming from the feeding line towards the belts; a frame is made to horizontally and vertically move to engage with the support plane, in a transfer phase, and to move beneath the plane, in a return phase; the frame is also suited to support a subsequent pile being formed during the transfer phase and to allow the descent of the pile being formed on the support plane during the return phase.